Bahá’í Community Life/Spiritual Education of Children and Youth
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6. Spiritual Education of Children and Youth
The spiritual education of children and youth is very impor- tant. Young people will one day be responsible for the progress of the Cause. They must be given spiritual training which will enable them to do their part in building the Kingdom of God on earth. Young people are like young trees, which grow accord-
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ing to the way in which they are trained. ‘Abdu’l-Baha tells us that “‘The hearts of all children are of the utmost purity. They
are mirrors upon which no dust has fallen. . . . Train these children with divine exhortations. From their childhood instill in their hearts the love of God... .’’*"
The spiritual education of children should develop and in- crease their spiritual capacity, acquaint them with Baha’: his- tory and teachings, and instill Baha’i values. Baha’u’llah and ‘Abdu’l-Baha have written prayers for children, and many mate- rials are available to parents and teachers to help them in educating children.
The spiritual education of youth should build upon the educa- tion of their earlier years and, in addition, prepare them for active service in the community. Baha’is between the ages of fifteen and twenty-one are considered youth. When a child reaches the age of fifteen, he has reached the age of spiritual maturity. He can then decide for himself whether he wants to remain a Bahai and can make his declaration of faith in Bahaullah. The youth in a community need to continue deepening their knowledge of the Faith. The adults should make sure there are opportunities for them to do so. Youth can be included in nearly all Baha’i activities and in this way learn to be responsible members of the community. They can attend the
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Feasts, serve on committees, give firesides and public talks, and help teach children’s classes. They cannot, however, serve on a Spiritual Assembly or vote for its members until they are twenty-one.
Parents are responsible for the spiritual as well as intellectual education of their children. The whole community, however, may share in carrying out this responsibility. The Local Spiritual Assembly will usually organize children’s classes and may ask several believers to teach the classes. Thus children can be brought together to learn from each other and from other adults and youth. Young people watch and imitate the actions of those around them. If they see kindness and justice, they will become kind and just themselves. Baha’ is teach by their actions all the time.